Automatic ribbon-reversing mechanism for type-writing machines.



G. M. KITZMILLER.

AUTOMATIC RIBBON REVERSING MECHANISM FOR TYPE WRITING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 12. 1910.

Patented May 31, 1910.

GEORGE M. KITZMILLER, 0F NDRFOLK, VERGINIIL AUTOMATIC RIBBON-REVERSING MECHANISM FOR TYPE-WRITING 4 TLK'JHENES,

Application filed January 12, 193.0. fieiial NOJSSL TOL .To albwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnome M. Kria MILLER, a citizen of ihe United States, and a resident of Noi'foik, iii the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful improvements in i eflilfllniiiiij .iiihbi n-Reversing iii echanisni for Typewritingiiiiachines, of which the foilowing is specification.

My invention relates io automatic ribboni'eversing,mechanism for iypenvriting inachines. I

In the present instance I have applied my invention to a type-writer of the Well known Remington class, though it is obvious that thy-invention may be applied to other types of Writing machine hy siight changes in tit." taiis of construction and i'eai'iaiigemciit of parts without departing i'fi'oiii ihe spirit my invention.

The object 015 1113" invention is to produce a simpia and positive auioinatic reverse of the direction of the ribbon {van-i when the ribhon has been unwound fi'oi one of tit ipOfiizh 'iiii the a'cconipanyi drawings, Figure 1 it; a IiQEZLGiG ation oi typeu'z'iting machine wii my invention appiied, ail nai'ia not ncee. ax toiiiust aie iiie Sallie having been sition epoohehait, pi ingei, hei'ci-iieai' and shifter. ifie 5 is a side View of the i'ii ii iispooi and part/of the inn-whet,showingniodh fied form of operating ievei' and ribbon ioiici'. Fig. 4,- is an e; .g gg'ci'aicd ii BX! the piui'i yei' hcznh spring and plum; Fig. 5 a aeciionai view of he on 'atii 'g' iei'ci' tahcn wi y y 5 i the pooi Y direction. of the ZibiKHi iavei. shaii gears 4-, and 4c, are boiled or concaved as shown. in .iiig, 2 for the purpose to be hereafter explained.

The. apooh Specification of Letters Patent.

Pateizited May 31, iifdlii.

A rotary motion imparted to the powernililfh], by the gears and 7, which rotate the shaft 1, in the direetion iiidicated by the arrow 8. The gear 1, is mounted in a i0ngitudinai groove {not shown) on. the shaft .1, so 11S to permit the shaft 1, "to be shifted end- Wise while the 2, is heid from each endwise movement by the foirk i1, aiiowii fi'ce rotation by the a 'iioii of the drum gear 5. Pin iiiie initteniv feed. is

n1iited. to the ribbon spoois 10', and through the usual niechanien'i common in.-

wi'iting machines, accord'iigiy as the gears 4, and 3, or 4:, and. 3, are meshed.

Loosely mounted on the shaft 1, opposite the gears and i, are shifters i1, and 11 which are provided with teeth 12, and e e held from endwise movement by the end of the spool shaft, 5, {high 2) contacting Wit the thing- 4 111%. The shifters 11. and ifl also pirovuied wih teeth let, (Fig. o purpose to ie hei'i expia" d Seeareiti. A the use tee-iii it; aye cut.

ciate MIL/(71".

and 5 3. which are the puriioae to he he i explained. becured in the bracket i7. iever suppozft 2-1. in which is inoumed a, ievc i'iivoted at 22 i e lever ii is provided a wedge-shaped projection, (i isg. when a" ion.v

34', with adapted ii} the ievei' is moved into operative. oo-

operation oi. the devicprovided with a weight he more i'uiif, cxphiini i ("wide hciovf its H L i provided with a pin 'ioi' eii gagggcineut i its return movement afici' 1 ation ihc iug oi block 30. The iio l-SPOOiS am era 31, heit i Mi, are provided with h innonwtiective poqition hy the Hi ion-folds, and are moved into eii'ective 'pooliion by the springs When released by the i' the point 3,:if the latch 32, operates to force the lever 25, past its center of support, as will be referred to later in the description of the operation of the device. I'may prefer to use the form of operating lever shown in F i s. 3 and 6, wherein the lever 25, is provi ed with an arm 34, bent so as to ex- .tend over the spool into the path of the.

ribbon travel, in which event the ribbon would be carried in the anti-friction roller 35. The ribbon at the desired distance from the ends would be provided with a suitable obstruction whichwould strike the arm 34, and force the lever past its center of support and into efiective position.

Mounted on the shaft 1, is a'wedge-shaped collar 36, which co-acts with the wedgeshaped projection 37, on the lever 38, mounted in the bracket 2. The lever 38, is pro vided with a suitable ball or weight 39, although I may use a spring to give tension to the lever 38, in place of the weight. The action of the lever will be further explained later.

Having given a general description of a construction which shows one form of embodiment of my invention, I will proceed to describe the operation thereof.

Figure 1 shows the reverse as just about to be effected. It will be seen that the ribbon is winding on the spool 10--, and has been unwound from the spool 10, which has released the latch 31. In this operation t e point 33, engages the lug 33, and as, he spool 10*, continues to wind the ribbo the rotation of the spool 10, forces the eight 28, past the center of its support 26, when it falls by gravity to the position shown on spool 10. It will be understood that there will always be left on the unwindingspool a suflicient amount of ribbon to allow the spool to continue to unwind until the latch 31, has performed its function. In the fall of the weight 28, the wedge 27 forces the head 22 (Fig. 4) against one end of the spring 23, and the other end of the spring 23, against the'plunger 18, forcing the lungor against thespring 19, which is of less tension than the spring 23, causing the end of-the plunger 18, to engage a tooth 14, of the shifter 1.1, thereby halting its rotation. The gears l, and 4:, are concavcd so as to allow the shifters 11, and 11, to freely rotate. Endwise movement of the shifters 11, and 11, is prevented by the flanges 13, be-

tween which the spool-shafts 5, and 5, rotate, as before explained. The shifter 15, is in mesh with the shifter 11, and when the rotation of the shifter 11, is halted and the shaft 1, continues to rotate, the shifter 15, backs out of mesh with the shifter 11, thereby disengaging the gears 3, and 4*, and the gears 3,and 4:, come into mesh. Just as the teeth of the shifters l1, and 15, pass out of engagement, the point 37 bf the lever 38,-raises over the wedge 36, and the Weight assets 39, causes the shaft 1, to complete its endwise movement and maintains the shifted position of the shaft 1. The ears 3, and 4, being meshed, the rotation of the spool 10, is reversed, and as the block or lug 30, moves around, it strikes the pin 29, of the lever 25, which being on a different center from that of the ribbon-spool, returns the lever 25, to normal position, and the weight 28, returning, passes the center of its support, the pin 29, passes out of the path traveled by the lug 30, and permits the spool to revolve unobstructed. After the shaft 1, has been shifted, it will be seen that the tension is released from the shifter 11, when the spring 19, in the shaft 5, draws the plunger 18, back to its normal osition.

Instead of using the latch 31, I may desire to use an obstruction placed on the ribbon near its ends, in which event I provide an anti-frictidn roller mounted as in Figs. 3 and 6, wherein the lever 25, is provided with an arm 34, extending over and lying next the roller 35, in the path traveled by the ribbon. In the above explained operation, therefore, it will be seen that the obstruction would strike the arm 34, and force the weight 28, into effective position.

It is to be understood that more are various changes in details of construction and rearrangement of parts which I may make without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. In a type-writing machine and in a ribbon-revers1ng mechanism, the combination with a ower-shaft carrying gears and rotatable shifting devices, of spool-shafts carrying gears and spools, and mechanism controlled by the ribbon to be projected into engagement with one of said devices to arrest the movement thereof.

2.' In a type-writing machine and in a ribbon-reversing mechanism, the combination with a power-shaft carrying gears and. rotatable shifter-teeth, of s ool-shafts carrying gears and s ools, ri hon-spools, and means controlled oy the ribbon to be projected into engagement with one set of shifter-teeth to arrest the movement thereof.

3. In a type-writing machine and in a ribbon-reversing mechanism, the combination of a power-shaft carrying gears and a plurality of sets of rotatable shifters, one set of shifters positioned near the spoolshaft gears, spool-shafts carrying ears and spools, and means controlled by t e ribbon to be projected into engagement with one of said shifters to a rrest the movement thereof.

4. In a type-writing machine and in a ribbon-reversing mechanism, the .combination of a power-shaft carrying gears, a plurality of sets of shifters mounted near the Ill) ends thereof, one set of shifters secured to the power-shaft and one-set mounted loosely on the power-shaft, spool-shafts carrying gears and spools, and mechanism controlled (by the ribbon to be projected into engagement with the loosely mounted shifters to arrest the movement thereof.

5. In a type-writing machine and in a ribbon-reversing mechanism, the combination of a power-shaft carrying gears and a plurality of sets of rotatable shifters provided with teeth, spool-shafts carrying concaved gears, and means controlled by the ribbon to be projected into engagement with one set of teeth for halting the rotation thereof.

6. In a type-writing machine and in a ribbon-reversing mechanism, the combination of a power-shaft, a shifter secured to the said shaft near its end, a loosely mounted shifter provided with spur teeth and flanges, a spool-shaft whose free end rotates between said flanges, and means controlled by the ribbon for engaging said spur teeth to halt the rotation thereof.

7. In a type-writing machine and in a ribbon-reversing mechanism, the combination of a power-shaft carrying gears, a shifter secured to the said shaft near its end, a shifter provided avithspur teeth and flanges, the last named shifter mounted loosely on said shaft, and prevented from endwise movement by the spool-shaft, a spool-shaft carrying a gear provided with a concave body, a plunger in the spool-shaft, and means controlled by the ribbon for reciprocating said plunger into and out of engagement with said spur teeth. S. in a type-writing machine and in a rilmen-reversing mechanism, the combina tion of a power-shaft carrying gears and a plurality of sets of rotatable shifters, one set. of shifters held from endwise movement by the. spool shaft, a spoobshaft carrying gears and spools, a plunger adapted to arrest the movement of the last-named shifters, and a gravity device \vhose path of move ment is across the end of the spool-shaft, actuated by the ribbon for causing a suspension of rotation of one of said shifters.

l in a type ivriting nmchine and in' a rilmen-reversing mechanism, the co1nbina lion with a power-shaft carrying gears, of rotatable shifters held from endwise movement by the spool-sliatt, a spoolshaft carryiug gears. spools and a plunger, a lever provided with a weight at one of its free ends, and adapted to move said plunger into effective position, means for actuating said lever, and means on the ribbon-spool controlled by the power shaft, for returning said lever to normal position.

10. In a typewriting machine and in a ribbon reversing mechanism, the combination with an endwise-movable power-shaft carrying gears and rotatable shifting devices, of spool shafts carrying gears and spools, a plunger, a lever for causing said plunger to be projected into engagement with one of said shifters to arrest the movement thereof, and means controlled by the ribbon anil power-shaft for moving the said lever into and out of effective position.

11. In a ribbon-reversing mechanism, the combination with ribbon-spools, of a lever, \vhose path of movement is across the center of the spool-shaft, means controlled by the ribbon for causing said lever to become effective, and means on the ribbon-spool for returning said lever to normal position.

12. In a ribbon-reversing mechanism, the combination with a ribbon-spool, of a lever mounted in a stationary support, a spoolshaft provided with a plunger, ribbon-control-led means for moving said lever and plunger into effective position, and means on the ribbon-spool for returning said lever to normal position.

13. in a ribbon-reversing mechanism, the combination with aribbon-spool, of a lever mounted in a stationary support, a spoolshaft provided with aplunger, ribbon-controlled means for moving said lever and plunger into effective position, and lugs on the ribbon-spool for returning said lever to normal position.

14. In a type-writing machine and in a ribbon-reversing mechanism, the combination with a power-shaft carrying gears, of a plurality of pairs of shifters provided with teeth, one pair of said shifters being provided with flanges, means for preventing endivise movement of one pair of shifters, spool-shafts provided with plungers, springs eo-aeting with said plungers, a ribbon-controlled lever whose path of movement is across the center of the ribbon-spool, adapted to cause said plunger to be projected into operative position and effect a reversal of the, ribbon travel, and means for maintaining such reversal.

Signed at Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk, and State of Virginia, this 19th day of January, A. D. 1909.

GEO. M. KITZMILLER.

\Vitnesses:

ll. L. SIMPSON, V. G. (Journos. 

